Principal of Kanpur's Medical College Rants Against Muslim Patients in Video, Action Demanded

Complaints have been filed against a rabid video recording a conversation between the Principal of Kanpur’s well known G.S.V Medical College (Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi), Dr Arti Lalchandani with some local journalists. It is almost a rant against Muslim Covid-19 patients in the hospital where the Principal wondered why they are being admitted at all, why so much money was being spent on them, saying they should be in solitary confinement in jails.

According to Dr Lalchandani the Muslim patients should be treated like terrorists. She is clearly not aware that her conversation is being recorded, but worried about the possibility, when she checks with the reporters (all out of frame) that she is not being quoted or recorded. They all, of course, deny it. The words used are highly alarming, but the tone is casual, as if it is nothing extraordinary for a doctor and the principal of the medical college suggesting that these patients should be sent to jail. And that even the Yogi Government seems to be guilty of some appeasement according to her, at which point she interrupted the rant to ask if the mikes were off.

These are terrorists, they should be in jail , instead we are looking after them, our doctors are being made ill because of them, our food is finishing for them, our kits are being used on them. It is because of them that we will go into financial emergency, continued the Principal of one of Uttar Pradesh’s largest medical colleges. She further said that the Muslim patients should kept in solitary confinement in jails, instead of which the district authorities had extended them all hospitality, and placed them in hospital wards. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath according to Dr Lalchandani also seemed to be appeasing them somewhat.

Clearly the video that is making the rounds was filmed by one of the journalists, with the few there appearing to support her, because of which she went on and on. CPI)M) politburo member Subhashini Ali who has contested Lok Sabha elections from Kanpur has sent a copy of the video to the Commissioner, Kanpur Zone and issued a press statement. She told The Citizen that Dr Lalchandani “must be removed immediately while the videos authenticity is being established. She must be dismissed and a criminal case lodged against her.”

Subhashini Ali said she had not received a response from the Commissioner as yet. She said that the doctor in the conversation made it clear that such medical help should not be extended to the minority patients. She said that she had demanded a probe and immediate action.

The video that has been placed before the authorities for investigation :